Books Written By Men For Men

For Whom the Bell Tolls is set in the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, in a rebel group that is trying to blow up a bridge held by the fascists. Robert Jordan is the bomb expert. This is a classic novel that offers up an adventure, a simple love story and a chance to learn something about a forgotten war in which many Americans volunteered to fight fascism.

Although he wrote many novels, he also wrote a non-fiction book about bullfighting in Spain called Death in the Afternoon . Anyone who wants to know more about this sport, Spain's national obsession, should read this book. It's not his best book by any means, but he does look honestly at bullfighting, and any sport aficionados will enjoy his detailed descriptions of bullfighting technique, the moves, the bulls, the matadors, and the picadors. You'll learn all about them.

spot the crazy writer

Born and raised in Scotland, Irvine Welsh lives hard and writes hard. His first novel, Trainspotting , was made into a movie of the same name starring Ewan McGregor.

Welsh wrote Trainspotting in a heavy Scottish dialect, and so this can be difficult for the North American reader at first — it's been said to be difficult even for the Scottish one. With all the slang and the phonetic pronunciation, you'll think you're reading another language, but slowly, you'll get used to it and then forget about it. Porno , the sequel to Trainspotting is now out.

His other books include Glue, Filth , The Acid House , and Ecstasy , among others. All have great original story lines. For instance, in Filth , Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson is a bad man, a really bad man, but he's given a run for his money by the tapeworm living in his gut, who tells some of the story.

Welsh is not for everyone, so have a read in the bookstore, or borrow it from a friend. If you're hooked, you'll read everything he's written.

take a reading break

So there are five male writers who'll give you a break from your busy world. Go to your local bookstore and flip through a few of these.

A good way to start is by reading the first paragraph of the novel. This is the equivalent to a handshake, where the author says, "Hey, pleased to meet you, this is how I write." If you like the tone, pick it up. If you don't, leave it for some other time.

You should however, make reading a part of your private schedule. Nothing will put your mind at ease like a good story, and these five guys are some of the best storytellers around.